Punjab Kings Beat Mumbai Indians by Seven Wickets to Secure Top-Two Playoff Finish
Jaipur: Punjab Kings (PBKS) showcased an authoritative all-round performance as they comfortably defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by seven wickets in a high-stakes Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Monday. With this victory, PBKS not only added another win to their campaign but also sealed a coveted top-two finish heading into the playoffs—an advantage that gives them two chances to reach the final.
The run-fest was powered by blazing half-centuries from young Priyansh Arya and Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis, whose fearless strokeplay dismantled the MI bowling attack and set up an emphatic win.
Punjab’s Commanding Chase
Punjab Kings’ reply got off to a steady start after they lost opener Shikhar Dhawan early for just 10, with pacer Jason Behrendorff getting the breakthrough for MI. However, that was the only moment of respite for Mumbai as Priyansh Arya and Josh Inglis combined to produce a thrilling display of batting that left the opposition bowlers struggling for answers.
He reached his half-century in just 29 deliveries and dominated the middle overs with some majestic strokeplay.
Josh Inglis, on the other hand, was clinical in his execution. The Australian played the anchor role initially but switched gears seamlessly as the innings progressed. His 73 off 42 balls included eight boundaries and three sixes, many of which were driven over cover or pulled with authority. Together, Arya and Inglis stitched a match-winning partnership of 118 runs that all but took the game away from MI.
Their dismissals—Arya falling to Mitchell Santner after a mistimed slog and Inglis bowled trying to scoop the same bowler—came too late to make a difference. With just a handful of runs needed, Jitesh Sharma and Liam Livingstone finished things off with ease, the latter sealing the win with a four over backward point.
Mumbai’s Mixed Batting Show
Earlier in the evening, Mumbai Indians were asked to bat first by Punjab skipper Shikhar Dhawan on what looked like a good batting surface. MI made a steady start but never quite managed to string together the sort of partnerships that could have put the game out of Punjab’s reach.
He looked set for a bigger score but was caught on the boundary trying to accelerate further.
Other contributions came from Ishan Kishan (28), Naman Dhir (25), and Tim David (21), but none of them could convert their starts into impactful innings. Despite the occasional boundary, MI kept losing wickets at regular intervals, which restricted their momentum.
The only real flourish came in the final over when Suryakumar and Naman Dhir took on Vijaykumar Vyshak, smashing 23 runs off it. That late burst pushed MI’s total to a respectable 184/7—what seemed like a defendable score at the halfway stage.
PBKS Bowlers Hold Their Nerve
Punjab’s bowlers did a commendable job in the first innings. Marco Jansen, playing his first game after a short injury layoff, impressed with the new ball and in the death, finishing with figures of 2 for 34. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh continued to be effective in the powerplay and at the death, ending with 2 for 28.
Vijaykumar Vyshak, despite his expensive final over, picked up two key wickets and bowled with decent pace through the middle overs. His figures of 2 for 44 were marred only by the late assault.
Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar bowled economically in the middle overs and played their roles in squeezing the run rate, ensuring MI’s innings never fully took off.
Top-Two Finish Secured
The victory propelled Punjab Kings to second place in the points table, ensuring they will now get two chances to reach the IPL final—first in Qualifier 1 and, if needed, in Qualifier 2. The top-two finish is a testament to their consistency throughout the tournament and the emergence of a young core led by Arya, supported ably by experienced campaigners.
The boys have really stepped up, and our batting depth is showing. Priyansh and Josh were outstanding today.”
With their playoff hopes now hanging by a thread, they will need a combination of wins and favorable results from other matches to stay in contention.
Brief Scores:
Punjab Kings: 187/3 in 18.3 overs (Josh Inglis 73, Priyansh Arya 62; Mitchell Santner 2/41)
Punjab Kings won by 7 wickets.